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Scans Show Details of Damage to Soldiers With Head Injuries

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Complications such as
narrowed blood vessels and increased pressure in the brain are
common among U.S. soldiers who have suffered a traumatic brain
injury, a new study reports.

For the study, researchers conducted brain scans using
non-invasive Doppler ultrasound on 88 soldiers who suffered
penetrating head injuries (in which the skull is breached) and 34
with closed head injuries. More than 40 percent of them had
increased pressure in the brain, called "intracranial
hypertension."

Narrowed blood vessels (vasospasm) were detected in the front of
the brain in 66 percent of those with a penetrating head injury and
13 percent of those with a closed head injury, and in the back of
the brain in 64 percent of those with a penetrating head injury and
14 percent of those with a closed head injury, the scans
showed.

The study was scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the annual
meeting of the American Stroke Association in Honolulu.

"Research shows that traumatic brain injury is a hallmark of recent military conflicts, affecting nearly a third of all wounded soldiers," lead researcher Alexander Razumovsky, director of Sentient NeuroCare Services in Hunt Valley, Md., said in an American Heart Association news release.

"What we've found is applicable and important to civilian traumatic brain injury patients, given that a significant number of them will have post-traumatic bleeding that will lead to vasospasm and intracranial hypertension," Razumovsky said.

The data and conclusions of research presented at medical
meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a
peer-reviewed journal.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.